Just the beginning
by DaughterOfLaughter
Summary: She didn't want to lose her friendship not even to date him..no matter how much she loved him. Too Bad he wasn't gonna let her he loved her too... It couldn't go wrong, it's only the beginning. Rachel/Jake


Disclaimer: DO I look like a middle-aged man, who writes for a living and makes a BAJILLION dollar for his amazing books?  
No- so I obviously am not Rick Riorden .-.  
-

Rachel walked down the strawberry fields, the wind ruffling her red hair, her green eyes set on the poor boy at the end of the path. He was banged up in a cast, but the top of his head stuck out, Tan skin, black hair, and grogrous green eyes, She was walking towards Jake Mason. She came up behind him and covered his eyes smiling, and whispered in his ear, "guess who?."  
He smiled to himself and turned the wheelchair around, "Rach!" She laughed and faked a pout, "you weren't supposed to turn around Jakey"  
He grinned at her and looked down at the sketchbook in her hand, "Going to draw me again, Rach?"

She blushed and nodded, "I can't help it Jake, you have a good form" Jake visibly colored and coughed, "well go ahead I just have to work on this new project"

Rachel smiled and sat down in front of his work outside work desk already flipping to a new page.

Jake smiled at her, and her heart skipped a beat, when she caught his eyes then she bent down to start drawing. She admired the way his hair curled at the ends, the lines of concentration as he focused on his work, the way he bit his lips when he had to think. What she didn't realize was that Jake was glancing up at her too. He watched her red curls flowing in the wind, her bright green eyes flicking back and forth to catch every detail, her milky skin freckled by the sun. The soft gentle curve of her breasts.. Jake blushed and shook his head, looking back down at his workload.

Rachel sat down her pencil and looked at the drawing, she hadn't realized she's only been drawing Jake's face. She hadn't even noticed the heart drawn around it, she'd lost herself in the art and was shocked at the heart. Thinking to herself, "Do i like Jake, no i can't i mean.. its Jake!"

A voice in her head spoke up, 'yeah its Jake, Jake who calls you every night, who leaves you notes by your canvas, who saves you a seat at dinner, Jake who's hair you love to play with and who you love talking to"

Rachel's eyes grew wide as realization hit, she shook her head and blushed thinking with dread, "I'm in love with Jake"  
She stood up fast and in the motion dropped her sketchbook on the floor, the loose papers flying everywhere. Jake noticed this and moved his wheelchair next to her, chuckling slightly, having been used to Rachel's weird tendencies. Rachel Seeing him had a tiny meltdown and scooped up all the papers and smiled at him apologetically, "I really have to go Jay, sorry" She smiled one more time before walking away flustered.

Jake frowned at her back and sighed, wishing she'd stayed, he moved his wheelchair back, and then noticed a paper, stuck in between the wheels.  
He leant down with his good hand and picked the paper, up his eyes taking in the drawing, a small smile growing on his face, as he figured it out, 'Rachel likes me, Rachel. Likes. Me." His smile was now a full blown grin as he stared at the picture, then looked back to see Rachel's figure disappear into her cave. He smiled and folded the drawing away a plan already forming in his head.

-

Rachel walked through the entrance of her cave, cheeks flushed with the sketchbook clutched to her chest, sighing she put it down on the kitchen table and walked to her bedroom, stopping by her cork board, she saw every note Jake had left for her. Ones with cute messages like, "Good morning beautiful", "Sweet dreams" and "Left you a muffin by the entrance", Ones that had a funny picture, or just a smiley face. She smiled as she remembered how each one of those would make her day, the smile fell off her face as she realized that if he ever knew how she felt he'd stop being her friend.

'He can't know then...' Her thoughts a jumbled mess, she headed to the bathroom to take a shower before dinner.

In the meantime Jake was running around camp, (well...wheeling around) taking to everyone who could help. He quickly snuck into Rachel's cave and left her the notes where planned, and left to talk to the Apollo cabin. He'd need their help, by the end of this, Rachel would understand how much she meant to him, and just how he felt about her.

Rachel stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her, while toweling her hair. She turned on her music and walked over to the fridge taking out an apple, as she lifted it to her mouth she noticed the note on the fridge, her green eyes narrowing, She put the apple down and walked over to the note plucking it off the fridge. The words jumping out at her- Want to see me, Follow my words. I love your red hair under the moonlight.

For a second Rachel was confused until she realized, this had to be another one of Jake's jokes, she smiled and thought about the meaning, grinning when her memories settled.

Friday night Jake and her had been hanging in her room, at midnight, it had been a full moon and she was sick, and well... Jake let her sleep on his lap, he'd told her the moonlight had made her red hair, look dazzling, and her face serene and just...peaceful.

She smiled and walked to her bedroom and before she headed to the window she slipped on some paint streaked jeans, bra and tank top, her hair wet around her shoulders. She stepped to the window pane and picked up the note her smile getting wider 'Smart Rach, I love your gorgeous smile, it lights up my world'

Grinning Rachel, put her hair in a ponytail and ran over to the bathroom, and flung the cabinet open her eyes scanning over the contents until she camp to the whitening toothpaste she used, she grinned victoriously and plucked up the post it not, examining the nest clue. 'Why couldn't it have been follow the butterflies?"

She threw her head back laughing and headed to the TV, seeing the harry potter case on top of it, she opened it and saw a blue cd, she took it out and popped it in sitting down and watching, recalling when she and Jake watched Harry Potter and he freaked out about the spiders.

Jake smiling face came up on the screen, "I hope you're happy, Dare. Look what I have to do for you. Only you could make me do this you know. Very much so you're my closest friend. Enough of that sappy talk though. You have to finish the hunt now, don't fail. Obviously i'm not gonna make it to hard, so head to our spot. Under the ribbons." He winked and the screen went black.

Her eyes watered as she realized he remembered, the day her father disowned her, she'd had a meltdown, she wouldn't leave her cave for weeks, no one could get her to leave or get out or even eat, not even Apollo could make her smile. All except Jake, he just wheeled right in there handed her, her sketchbook, and sat her on his lap and took her to their spot. They'd hung ribbons every time they visited. It was a year ago, and they hadn't visited since, but still she couldn't believe he'd remembered. He truly was amazing….and she couldn't have him.  
She sighed and looked down, her gingers playing with the cd case, deciding that she should at least finish this. She didn't want to lose Jake's friendship.

She took a brisk walk to the lake and rand down the steep hill to where their spot was, taking in the golden sand, dotted with weeds and flowers, and the low hanging willow tree, that had 16 ribbons hanging down from it, all of them red, until she noticed another one up above her. She reached up and untied it noting a black arrow draw on it, she looked in the direction of the arrow and saw the sign stuck in the sand. She giggled, and took the sign out of the sand.

As soon as she did, a gaggle of crazy squealing girls pulled her away from shore and back to camp. Here eyes wide she followed reluctantly, knowing that this was Jake's doing. She was led to the Aphrodite cabin, she walked in gaging slightly and was plopped down in a spindly plastic chair, and turned away from the mirror.

She opened her mouth to ask what the hades was going on, but Laina, daughter of Aphrodite shook her head smiling, "Its all part of his plan". Then laina completely ignored her and started doing her hair while chatting to the other girls. Rachel sighed and closed her eyes, her ears only catching a few select words, such as, " So sweet", "I wish Michael was like this", and "she'll be so excited"

20 minutes later Rachel's hair had been done into long shiny tendrils of pure liquid flame, and her makeup was light and dewy. She was then led to taken to Nico, who smiled at her and sat her in a chair then blindfolded her.  
"Relax, Its nothing bad, don't worry" Nico wrapped his arms around her and shadow traveled them away.

When the blindfold was taken off her, well. She was shocked. No other way to put it. The sky was lighted up with the stars and the campfire was bright, with the excitement, it was just her and Jake, staring at each other, his eyes smiling at her. She looked down at the paper in front of her and gaped at the drawing. Her drawing to be precise- of Jake. She looked up and stumbled back, she hadn't even noticed Jake had moved and was now directly in front of her. The firelight flickering off his green eyes.

'i.. that's.. you don't, I didn't.-" Her words a jumbled mess she looked back down suddenly very shy.

"Rache look at me" Jake's words were light, and soft, as he tilted her chin up. Her wide eyes caught his, as he leant down carefully, and touched his lips to hers. The drawing fell to the floor as her eyelids fluttered to a close, and her arms wrapped around his neck, kissing back just as gentle. Neither Jake or Rachel could deny just how amazing that kiss was and when they broke away, they were both grinning like idiots.  
She looked up at him and whispered out, "you like me?"

'No' he said smiling.

She frowned and looked down awkwardly, "Oh.."

"I don't like you rach, I freaking love you"

Her head snapped up and she smiled the biggest, widest, happiest smile Jake had ever seen.

"look at this Rach" He handed her a a piece of paper and she looked down piecing the puzzle together , she leant up and kisses him whispering against his lips.

"I love you too Jake"

-

And on that piece of paper, was the speech Jake had taped. But the first letter of every sentence was highlighted, so that spelt out 3 words, that had meant so much to Rachel. I love you.

bd37979r0-

A/N: so I haven't updated anything in a while, and I only just got my Mojo back and I'm really happy with this. I'd like to give a shout out, to my friend Ryan :3 and also please Review if possible. Criticism is always welcome, and Leo will absorb the flames. Anyways thanks guys :3


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